By BY BRUCE HIXON – SPORTS EDITOR
It has been a part of their schedule that has been an early season indicator and a springboard to the outdoor season.
At least for now, the Alabama High School Athletic Association's state indoor track meet will be nothing but a distant memory for the T.R. Miller Tigers as well as for the rest of the state.
The AHSAA has decided to shut down the annual event, which has been held every year since 1966 with the exception of 1993, due to a deteriorating facility at Priceville, which has hosted the event in recent years.
T.R. Miller has enjoyed considerable success at the event, which includes state titles in the Class 4A-5A division in 1986 and in the Class 3A-4A division in 1992. The Tigers finished fourth in this spring's event.
The indoor track at Priceville is made of wood and shows considerable wear and tear.
In addition to the condition of the track, the other big knock against the Priceville facility was the lack of heat. That often led to some chilly conditions since the meet is held in early February and Priceville is located just south of Decatur.
The AHSAA indicates the state indoor meet will be discontinued until a more suitable facility is in place.
As compensation for the abolishment of the state indoor meet, the AHSAA will allow the start of the outdoor season to begin two weeks earlier. The first day for outdoor competition this past spring was March 2. W.S. Neal, which has not competed in the state indoor meet in recent years, competed in its first outdoor meet this past spring March 6, while T.R. Miller's first outdoor meet was March 13.
In addition to the earlier starting date, the state has also expanded the number of regular season meets allowed from 10 to 12. Teams could use the extra dates to compete in indoor meets in other states if they opt to do so.